The Charleston High School Lady Tigers have done it again, winning the Class 2A State Track and Field Championships for a second consecutive season.
It is the first time the CHS ladies have won a state track title in back-to-back years since doing so in 2012 and 2013, when the school competed in Class 3A.
Their Monday, May 6, crown was the fourth captured by the CHS girls in the program’s modern era.
This week’s win might have made it three state titles in a row for the Lady Tigers, who came ever so close to taking the top prize in 2022. Instead, they finished as runner-up, 5 points behind champion Puckett High School.
In 2023, the Charleston girls left no doubt, compiling 118 total team points to surge 52 points ahead of defending champ Puckett, which managed 66 points in placing second.
So, a narrow loss in 2022, a resounding victory in 2023 and, this year, a very narrow win.
On Monday, 2A North State champion Charleston scored 125 team points, squeaking past 2A South State champion St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, which compiled a total of 124 points. But, a win is a win. And a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, according to famous lady Juliet.
In fact, there was nothing to suggest that CHS girls head coach Jeff Hollingsworth was measuring the outcome.
All he could talk about was the win, and the unique group of ladies who achieved it.
“This group was a special group,” he noted Tuesday, when discussing the Lady Tigers and their three-year run at the top of the standings.
Monday’s tight finish at state was a new experience for this year’s Lady Tigers, who had enjoyed blowout first-place wins by a 141-point margin at the 1-2A Super Regional on April 18 and by a 90-point margin at 2A North State on April 27.
“We didn’t win as many first-place ribbons [at state] this year, but we still did good,” Hollingsworth said.
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The Charleston girls medaled in eight individual events and three relays.
Senior Amia Wright was the day’s big winner, as the only CHS athlete capturing a total of four first-place medals: three individual golds for winning the 100-meter dash (12.18), 200-meter dash (25.63) and 400-meter dash (59.23), and another gold as anchor for the first-place winning 4x100 meter relay team.
Hollingsworth said Wright, as has been the case the past two years, as well, turned in the biggest individual performance for the girls.
“She’s a three-time state champion in the 100, 200 and 4x100,” he noted. “I have never seen that before in the 18 years I’ve been here.”
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Among other medalists for the Lady Tigers:
» The 4x100-meter relay team of senior Diekyra Bradford, Collins, junior Tykeria Davis and senior Amia Wright took first place with a time of 49.75.
» The 4x200-meter relay team of senior Diekyra Bradford, junior Alena Collins, junior Tykeria Davis and sophomore Jada Leavy captured first place (1:46.80).
» The 4x400-meter relay team of freshman Keasia Goliday, sophomores Jada Leavy and De’Moria Shannon, and freshman Carmen Strong won first place (4:16.68).
» Junior Alena Collins won a pair of individual bronze medals by placing third in the 100-meter dash (12.58) and 200-meter dash (26.02).
» Senior Ta’Moria Shannon placed third in the 300-meter hurdles (47.97).
» Senior Shaniya Moore captured third place in the discus throw (93-03).
» Senior Diekyra Bradford finished third in the pole vault (7-06.00).
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The Lady Tigers competed but did not medal in the following events:
» The girls’ 4x800-meter relay team of freshman Keasia Goliday, sophomore Jada Leavy, sophomore De’Moria Shannon and senior Janiya Taylor was fourth (11:31.36).
» Senior Ta’Moria Shannon placed fourth in the 100-meter hurdles (17.18).
» Freshman Carmen Strong placed fourth in the long jump competition (16-04.00).
» Junior Kamoria Gary placed fifth in the 100-meter hurdles (17.20).
» Freshman Keasia Goliday was fifth in the 400-meter dash (1:02.96).
» Senior Nathalie Randolph finished fifth in the shot put (31-00.50).
» Sophomore De’Moria Shannon was sixth in the 800-meter run (2:53.95).
» Junior Alysun McIntyre placed sixth in the triple jump event (43-09.00).
» Senior Diekyra Bradford placed seventh in the 300-meter hurdles (54.47).
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Charleston’s ladies will take quite a hit at graduation, losing Diekyra Bradford, Shaniya Moore, Nathalie Randolph, Ta’Moria Shannon, Janiya Taylor and Amia Wright.
“I’m losing a big senior group this year,” Hollingsworth said. “They played a pivotal part in our success these last couple of years. The other girls did their part and contributed big, too, but we’re gonna lose a lot this year.”
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THE CHS BOYS, who, like the girls, had been 1-2A Super Regional champs before finishing a close second at 2A North State coming in, posted a stout showing of third among 22 track teams at the state meet. It was the CHS program’s best finish since 2016, when they placed second.
“The boys were fighting from behind, and a couple of boys did some good things by giving us some opportunities, and some schools helped us out a little bit by beating other schools,” said Hollingsworth. “We were 12 points out going into the 4x400. If we had beaten Northside in the 4x400, the boys would have been the state runner-up.” Instead, Northside won first place and CHS took third in that event.
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The following guys brought home medals for the Charleston Tigers:
» The 4x200-meter relay team of junior Brandon Henderson, junior Kyntorris Williams, senior Kashwaun Drain and junior Lamarion Brown took first place with a time of 1:29.81.
» Junior Lamarion Brown won a first-place medal in both the 100-meter dash (11.15) and 200-meter dash (22.40).
» Junior Kyntorris Williams won first place in the 400-meter dash (50.04)
» Junior Delante Tellis was second in the high jump competition (36-00.00).
» Junior Brandon Henderson placed third in the 200-meter dash (22.76).
» The 4x100-meter relay team of sophomore Quentin Carter and juniors Lamarion Brown, Brandon Henderson and Kyntorris Williams captured third place (43.51).
» The 4x400-meter relay team of senior De’ondre Riley and juniors Timothy Kirk, Brandon Henderson and Kyntorris Williams finished third (3:35.56).
» Junior Delante Tellis placed third in the 110-meter hurdles (16.81).
» Sophomore Marcus Flowers took third place in the triple jump (43-09.00).
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The Tigers competed but did not medal in the following events at state:
» Sophomore Marcus Flowers placed fourth in the 300-meter hurdles (42.51).
» Junior Timothy Kirk tied with one other guy for fifth in the pole vault (9-00.00).
» Freshman Aybekia Bradley was sixth in the 800-meter run (2:09.28).
» The 4x800 meter relay team of junior Timothy Kirk, sophomore Averon Davis, freshman Aybekia Bradley and sophomore Lapatrick Goliday was seventh (9:24.34).
» Senior Monta Sanford finished seventh in the shot put event (40-09.00).
» Sophomore Quentin Carter placed eighth in the 100-meter dash (11.83).
» Sophomore Lapatrick Goliday finished eighth in the 800-meter run (2:20.07).
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East Tallahatchie School District Athletic Director LaDon Taylor, whose daughter Janiya ran on the girls fourth-place 4x800 relay team at state, said the Lady Tigers and Tigers turned in strong performances this season.
“It is always good to see our student-athletes do well in all sports,” he noted. “It was a refreshing feeling to see our track teams compete at an elite level this year.”
Taylor added, “We have worked so hard in all of our sports this season and we will look to keep building on that this upcoming year.”
He complimented the job the coaches did of rallying around the boys’ team when head coach Kam Myers left about midseason to accept the position of wide receiver coach with the Holmes Community College football team.
“Coach Hollingsworth, coach Mandy Moore and coach Jaquell Davis kinda all worked with the boys to finish the season,” Taylor noted.
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Hollingsworth said Monday was “bittersweet” because he was coaching his final CHS sporting event.
“It was bitter knowing that I’m not coming back — not because I don’t want to, but because of a contract issue,” he noted.
“It was bittersweet. You win the state championship, but then you know it’s the end of a journey here at Charleston High School.”
Hollingsworth said he has been a part of 11 state championships in CHS athletics.
As girls track coach for 18 years, his teams have won four state championships, four state runners-up, 10 north half titles, 13 region championships, 15 division championships and he was 2013 Mississippi Coach of the Year in 3A.
He also shared other coaching accomplishments:
» In nine years as girls basketball coach, his team was state runner-up in 2013, won two division championships and he was a three-time division coach of the year.
» As boys basketball coach for six years, he was two-time division coach of the year.
» In 13 years as girls powerlifting coach, his teams won five state championships, were three-time state runners-up, won nine north half titles and he was a four-time Mississippi coach of the year.
» In coaching boys basketball two years, Hollingsworth’s teams won division championships twice and were north runners-up once.
» He was football statistician for 19 years, including the Tigers’ state championship seasons of 2011 and 2023.
